Under the Cherry Trees
by Tenshi-Yume
Summary: Dark and lonely, Hitomi fears no one can help until she meets Van. A forbidden friendship develops, even while tragedy strikes one of them. Torn between her heart and the darkness that binds her Hitomi will have to make a fatal decision. VH R&R plz!
1. Prologue

UNDER THE CHERRY TREES by Tenshi_Yume  
Fear? Love? What was it that parents wanted more for their children? They input fear into their children so that respect is given to them, but they also put just enough love so that the children know that their parents love them. It's hard enough for one child, but two? Sure the saying goes that if you're an only child then you must be spoiled, but what about two children? Are they both equally treated? Of course they are, everybody thinks, because there are two they must be treated equally. If you think just like these kinds of people who think that the more there are the more equal they'll be then you haven't seen everything. If parents have more than two kids sure they won't be spoiled but the parents will ALWAYS have a favorite. Treating one as if that one child is the savior of life, while the other is left to the scraps of the favorite. That's what happened to me, Hitomi Kanzaki. I was left in the already worn out tracks of my sibling. I beg you reader to read my story and know this, so that you may realize what other's go through. Others . . . like me. They may hide it from you and who knows one of them could be your friend, but you're not reading this because it's about your friend . . . no . . . this is my story. Listen to my sorrows, taste my tears, feel my pain, and see . . . my darkness.  
A/N: hey how is everyone out there? good well . . . if you haven't already read my other stories . . . or my info thing . . . then you probably won't know but yes . . . i'm going to stop all my other stories and focus more on this one . . . i haven't been getting many reviews for my original story, and this is original . . . so i've decided that it would be best if i used the characters from Escaflowne . . . that way more people will see and more people will read . . . if i end up finishing this story . . . which i probably won't but if i do then i will start back with all my other ones . . . 


	2. Misery

Hitomi sat in her lonely dark room, scribbling away at her old beaten notebook. Words. Harsh and foul words as hot angry tears slid down her cheeks. Ink spread all over the paper as her tears of hate mingled in with it. She drew pictures of people suffering and dying.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"You're a failure. A failure at everything," her father yelled at her. Hitomi stood there looking down at the ground, trying not to look at his face. Her mother just sat there as her father kept screaming at her. Her little brother was in his room having fun. She was angry with her father for yelling at her, angry with her mother for not doing anything to stop this, and angry with her brother because he was the cause of everything.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"She wouldn't help me. She wouldn't help me at all," Hitomi whispered to herself as she drew more pictures. Then she closed her notebook and went to the darkest corner of her room. She began to dig her nails into the skin of her wrist until it broke. Blood began to seep out, but barely. It should've hurt, but it didn't. She wanted to dig her way through her body and find her heart to see what really hid beneath all that. She hated her life and cursed everyone around her because of it. She wanted everyone to be miserable. "Why did you create me!? Why is my life like this!?" she shouted looking up at the ceiling of her room trying to see if God would listen, "I paid for what I did years ago! What more do You want from me!?" She bowed her head back down and cried. She held her bloody wrist close to her, staining her jeans. "Why me?" she murmured trying to see if God would answer her. After 2 hours of crying Hitomi finally got up and walked to the bathroom. She scrubbed off the blood that had caked onto her skin. The cuts began to sting, but she didn't care. Hitomi began to look through the cupboards of her sink and found a hair dryer. Water dripped from her wet hands as she plugged it into the socket. Then she turned all the faucets on and allowed the water to run. She couldn't decide whether or not to drown herself or electrocute herself. She only thought of how her parents would react when they found her body. She began to cry again as she fell backwards onto the floor. She cut herself with her nails again, angry that she was too cowardly to even kill herself. Lying down on the floor, Hitomi closed her eyes. She couldn't see anything because all was dark. She couldn't escape it. No matter where she was the darkness would follow her. She reopened her eyes and got up. She turned off the faucets and put the hair dryer away. Then she went to her room and climbed into her bed and went to sleep. Her tears glistened in the moonlight as it came pouring through her window illuminating her face.  
A/N: really short i know but there was just nothing else to say for this chapter . . . next time it will be longer because she will meet Van!!! so here is the sum . . . Hitomi has a family that she hates and a life that is not worth living . . . and she wants to kill herself, but she's too afraid to do it. but now she is going to meet Van and things might change . . . i find this story that i am writing kind of disturbing . . . '-_- . . . and what happened to the freakin prologue? it became messed up . . . 


	3. New Feelings

Hitomi sat in the farthest and darkest corner of her first period classroom writing down notes while the teacher went on and on about pollution. She pulled up her black sweater and looked at her wrist. The cuts had gotten better from last night. She looked at her hand and remembered that morning.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Getting into the car, Hitomi still had last night clear in her memory. Her father turned the ignition and began to drive. Halfway to school, he took Hitomi's hand into his own and gave her a smile. Hitomi returned his smile but on the inside her head was screaming for her to pull away. Her head was screaming in pain as the simple touch from her father burned her skin. 'How can he pretend as if nothing happened the night before?' she thought. She wanted to hurt him for hurting her.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
The bell rang just as Hitomi realized that she had ruined her notes by scribbling all over it with her pen. She told herself that she would get new notes later. Walking to her second period class she met her best friend Yukari and gave her a cheerful smile. Yukari was perfect. She had a nice smile and she was popular. No one thought she was crazy. She received straight A's every year and had a GPA of 4.33 and above. She had a nice figure and she was number one in her class. Not only that but she was also class president. She was everything that Hitomi wasn't. 'There's a girl that's perfect for dad,' Hitomi thought bitterly.  
  
"How are you?" Yukari asked as she walked with her friend to second period.  
  
"Fine," Hitomi lied. Hitomi and Yukari had a close bond where they could tell each other anything and everything, but Hitomi didn't want Yukari to worry about her. Yukari was always there for Hitomi when things would go wrong. That didn't mean Hitomi was never there for Yukari, but Yukari just seemed to have less problems. Hitomi didn't want to complain either. Yukari does so much for her, Hitomi began to feel that she was becoming a burden.  
  
"Did you study for the chemistry test?"  
  
"Yeah but not as hard as I should have."  
  
"Oh. Well we have chem sixth, so we can study at lunch. How about that?"  
  
"All right," Hitomi said as she and Yukari walked into their second period classroom. When Hitomi was with Yukari all of her problems seemed to go away and things would go back to being normal. 'Great we have to sit in the front,' Hitomi thought. The bell rang again signaling the end of passing period and many students walked in just as the bell was ringing.  
  
"Someone needs to exhibit more strict rules and punish the students that don't follow them," Yukari sighed as she watched the last of them come in.  
  
"It's not that the rules aren't strict enough, there are just too many couples at this school," Hitomi murmured disgustingly. The teacher began writing on the board indicating that class had started. Right in the middle of class, the principal walked in with a boy. The whole class turned to look at who walked in, while Yukari woke Hitomi to see. Hitomi turned and looked at the boy as he looked at her.  
  
"Class I would like you to meet a new student. His name is Van Fanel and he just moved here. Please treat him nicely and why don't one of you show him around the place," the principal said with a smile as he left the class. The teacher pointed to the seat next to Hitomi. Van walked over to the seat and sat down.  
  
"Hitomi?" the teacher said.  
  
"Yes?" Hitomi responded.  
  
"You will show Van around the school and take him to all his classes."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"Oh and have him sit with you at lunch so that he can make some friends."  
  
"Okay," she said sighing. Hitomi was very conservative. She never tried to make friends, or even introduce people to a new student. She was antisocial or so she thought. Her only friend was Yukari and yet she was loved by everyone. 'The Nice Girl' is how everyone knows her. Hitomi sighed again and closed her eyes. She needed some peace and quiet. But she wasn't to get it because just when she was drifting off, someone abruptly shook her and it didn't feel like the nice and gentle shake that Yukari usually gives. It was a sudden and hard shake. She opened her eyes and saw Van's face looking into her own.  
  
"Aahhh!" she yelled.  
  
"Sorry, but the bell rang and that usually means we go to our next class right?" he asked with his raven black hair swishing in his face.  
  
"Yeah, I just fell as . . ."  
  
"I know. You must have been up late last night. Either that or you couldn't sleep."  
  
"I wasn't up late. I just couldn't sleep. Nightmares."  
  
"Me too." Hitomi looked into his eyes. She was amazed and at a loss of words that this new strange student was similar to her. 'No,' she thought, 'He doesn't know what it's like being me. No one does.'  
  
"So uhmm . . . can you show me to my next class?" he questioned breaking the gaze between Hitomi and himself.  
  
"Yeah. Give me your schedule," she said as she watched Van search through his pockets.  
  
"I know it's here somewhere."  
  
"Can we hurry up the pace. I mean I have class too."  
  
"Sorry," he said and gave her a nicely folded piece of paper. Opening it up she groaned a little bit.  
  
"Looks like we're stuck together. You have the exact same schedule as me, except for p.e.," Hitomi said getting her stuff together and leading the way to the next class, Mythology.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Throughout the whole entire day, Hitomi tried to ignore Van, but he was the type to keep asking questions about her life. Fed up with him for ruining one of her favorite subjects, Hitomi tried to ditch him at lunch. 'Why won't he leave me alone? He's like a little puppy dog. I mean I know he's new and all and he probably has no friends and he's probably a nerd too,' Hitomi sighed, 'He's so pathetic. That's going to get him into big trouble.' Hitomi turned around as Van almost bumped into her. Looking up, Hitomi caught his eyes and was enraptured. His eyes were so soft and gentle looking, but at the same time they looked so innocent. 'Dammit why'd he have to be so good-looking?' she thought.  
  
"Uhmm . . .," Hitomi started. She couldn't let him down. It was those eyes that made her change her mind. They made her feel warm and kind inside. She was at peace when she looked into them. But then she also felt like her insides were churning and a hundred butterflies had entered her stomach.  
  
"Hitomi?" he questioned with his soft smile.  
  
"Uhmm . . .," she said snapping back, "If you want, you can uhmm . . . eat lunch . . .wi . . "  
  
"VAN!" someone yelled. Hitomi and Van both turned around and looked at who had shouted. A girl came running up to them and suddenly threw her arms around Van. The girl had short pink hair and a nice body. Hitomi recognized her at once. 'Well if it isn't Miss Popular herself. Merle . . .,' Hitomi thought.  
  
"Merle?" Van said with surprise. Merle let go of Van and gave him one of her award winning smiles.  
  
"I heard that there was this handsome new student here at this school and I knew that I just had to go and find him," she said giving him a seductive smile. Hitomi watched Van talk to the girl for a very long time. It was making Hitomi feel a little jealous inside. 'What am I thinking!? I can't like this guy. I mean I just met him and I don't even know him. Besides, I can't feel love . . . even if it hit me in the face,' Hitomi thought as her face became stoic. Feeling uncomfortable Hitomi backed away slowly and began to walk in the other direction, leaving Merle and Van alone. Noticing this Van tried to break away from the conversation, but he couldn't get away from Merle and watched Hitomi walk away from him.  
A/N: yay another chapter is done! Don't forget to review . . . suggestions and other things are allowed, but please no flames . . . ( 


	4. Dance

"All right people!" a long blond haired girl said, "Competition is tonight. It will take place here at school and all of you will report here at 6:00 for setup."  
  
"Hey! Let's show the slayers what the dragons are all about!" one of the girls yelled.  
  
All the girls started to cheer. Hitomi joined along with them and broke a smile. Dance was Hitomi's whole life. Hitomi enjoyed all the other fine arts, but dance made her happiest. She was free and yet she was able to express herself in a way that people would understand. Her solo was going to be shown that evening. She began stretching herself to get ready for practice. All the while she was stretching, she couldn't help but hear a group of girls talking. Hitomi was trying so hard not to listen to their conversation that she ended up listening more to the conversation than not listening.  
  
"Did you hear about the new guy? His name's Van and I hear he is a total cutie," one of her colleagues said.  
  
"I heard and before the end of this semester, I can guarantee that he'll be all mine," one of the others boasted. The girls started to giggle and laugh. Hitomi sighed a sigh of disgust and tried to focus more on her stretching. But her mind kept moving back to Van with his dark raven hair and his penetrating eyes. Without watching what she was doing Hitomi tilted to one side and fell down. The girl with the long blond hair quickly ran over to her aide.  
  
"Hitomi! Are you okay?" she asked with worry. Hitomi's head cleared up and she began registering what had just happened into her mind. Everyone stopped stretching and watched her with queer looks on their faces.  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine," she said holding her head in one hand and grabbing onto the girl's arm for support.  
  
"We don't want you to break your bones or anything. At least not since competition is tonight and you're our best dancer. We're counting on you to give us the winning points to win against the slayers."  
  
"Millerna I'm fine. I just slipped."  
  
"Okay." Millerna helped Hitomi up and made sure that she was all right. Hitomi let go of Millerna and realized that she was a bit dizzy from the fall. She started to tilt again, but Millerna grabbed her just in time.  
  
"Why don't you rest a bit?" Millerna said with concern. Walking Hitomi over to the wall, Millerna set her down gently. Feeling sick, Hitomi just got up and walked over to the door.  
  
"Hitomi?" Millerna called.  
  
"I'm going home. I don't feel well, but I'll be back in time for competition. Don't worry," Hitomi called back with her back turned while walking out of the building.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
At home, Hitomi immediately went to her room and fell on her bed. She didn't even bother to do her homework. But she knew that sooner or later if her parents were to come upstairs and see her sleeping, she would get in big trouble. Her life was so miserable all she could really do was cry her to sleep at night. Every day she would wonder what it would have been like if she were to live a different life. Downstairs she could hear the television mixed in with the yelling of her father. Her brother must have gotten a ninety-nine percent on his test or something. Her little brother was only in fourth grade, but he was smart, maybe even smarter than her. Ever since he passed first grade with straight A's, he's been nothing but perfect. So if he were to get even point zero one percent off of his test, he would be told that he was nothing and he would be nothing in life. It was like a process that never ended. They would make a mistake, get yelled at, cry, and be happy, then it would start all over again. There was never a single day where their father didn't notice a fault in them. Hitomi sighed a deep sigh and went to shut her door. Then she pulled out her books, sat down, and began to study.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
The crowd was silent as the other school started their group dance. Hitomi's solo would be next and she was nervous. Her eyes stung and her throat hurt from her crying but she couldn't let that get in the way of her performance. The crowd began to clap and Hitomi knew that they were done. She took a deep breath and started walking as the announcer was introducing her to the crowd. From behind her she could hear her colleagues wishing her the best. Hearing them, she smiled slightly. The space where she would dance was bigger than she had expected and so was the crowd. She walked to the center and positioned herself for the dance. The sound team began playing the music and the crowd died down. The lights were turned off and a spotlight was shining on Hitomi.  
  
I see it around me, I see it in everything.  
  
I could be so much more than this.  
  
I said my goodbye's this is my sundown.  
  
All of Hitomi's thoughts poured out of her head and she was hearing nothing but the music.  
  
I'm gonna be so much more than this.  
  
With one hand high, you'll show them your progress.  
  
You'll take your time, but no one cares.  
  
No one cares.  
  
She felt so relaxed and peaceful. Her body moved gracefully to the music and she didn't want the night to ever end.  
  
I need you to show me the way from crazy.  
  
I wanna be so much more than this.  
  
With one hand high, you'll show them your progress.  
  
You'll take your time, but no one cares.  
In the middle of her performance, she began to feel dizzy again. She didn't know why she was dizzy, but she began to feel really sick. She brushed off the feeling and just went in time with the music. She couldn't stop, at least not in the middle of it.  
  
No one cares.  
  
I could be so much more than this.  
  
No one cares.  
  
I wanna be so much more than this.  
  
No one cares.  
  
I wanna be so much more than this.  
  
No one cares.  
  
I wanna be so much more than this.  
  
Good goodbye lovely time.  
  
Good goodbye tin sunshine.  
  
Good goodbye I'll be fine.  
  
Good goodbye, good goodnight.  
Her song ended and the lights were back on. The crowd cheered as she looked up. Scanning the crowd, she noticed a familiar face. With his raven black hair falling on his face, he gave her a half smile when she looked at him. She stood there speechless. The announcer began introducing the next dancer and she broke the gaze as she walked off to the back. Quickly turning around, she looked back in the crowd and Van had gone. She couldn't find him anymore.  
  
"You were so great Hitomi!" a girl said as she gave her a hug. Hitomi turned around and saw Yukari standing there with a big smile and a bouquet of flowers.  
  
"Everyone liked it so much! So did Amano." Amano was Yukari's boyfriend. For a short time, Hitomi had a little crush on him. But when she found out that Yukari liked him as well, she knew that it was a mistake.  
  
"These are from him," Yukari said as she handed Hitomi the flowers.  
  
"These a . . ." Hitomi began while looking up at Yukari. Yukari even smiled even bigger.  
  
"I told him what your favorite flowers were. He thought you were a little disturbing." Hitomi laughed a little. She looked down at the black roses and smiled. Everyone thought she was weird to like black roses, but she loved them. They were dark and she liked dark things.  
  
"Tell him 'thank you'. This was really nice of him. Where is he? I would think that if he saw me, he would be back here with you giving me the flowers himself."  
  
"He had something else to go to."  
  
"Oh," Hitomi said. She walked over to the dressing room and began to feel dizzy again. She felt cold and began to feel numb. She became so weak that she just fell to her knees. Yukari, who was standing right behind her, yelled her name and tried to get her off of the ground. Yukari yelled for help as other dancers came and tried to help her. Hitomi began to breathe heavily. She felt like all the strength was drained from her and she felt so helpless. Her head was spinning and she felt so dizzy. Then she went unconscious.  
A/N: another chapter done and completed . . . I kind of ended with a cliff hanger . . . I think . . . anyway . . . since you're done with this one might as well read my other one right?? If you want to my other one is called For the Love of A Dragon . . . please review!!! Thank you esca-lover and ruby for taking the time to read my story!! 


	5. Sick

Waking up, Hitomi found herself in an all white room. Her head hurt, but the pain was slowly subsiding. She looked to the side and saw an IV and realized that she was in the hospital. On the table next to her were a vase of black roses and a card. 'Yukari must have sent these,' Hitomi thought. Her room only consisted of a single window that looked over a park. The sun shined through brightly and she smiled. Leaning back into her hospital bed, she stared out the window.  
  
"Finally you woke up," a woman said as she entered the room. She was a nurse who looked just a little younger than Hitomi. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was mostly pushed to one side and Hitomi saw something familiar in her face.  
  
"Who are . . ." Hitomi started.  
  
"Hmm? Oh you want to know who I am? My name is Celena," Celena said with a bright and cheerful smile.  
  
"Celena? I've heard of that name before."  
  
"You probably heard it from my brother. His name is Allen," she said while opening the window.  
  
"Schezar. Allen Schezar. The senior?"  
  
"The one and only. I'm his younger sister." Hitomi looked at her with a slightly dazed look then she looked down. Celena gave a small sigh and began to walk out the door.  
  
"Uhmm . . . Celena?" Hitomi said quickly looking up trying to catch the nurse before she left.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What's wrong with me?" Celena stopped breathing for a moment and then she sighed again. She looked into Hitomi's eyes. Hitomi knew that her look was one of sadness and pity. Then Celena looked away and tried to find some way to answer Hitomi.  
  
"You're . . ." she began.  
  
"Hitomi!" Yukari said at the same time that Celena was going to say what was wrong with her. Celena had a look of relief on her face as she walked out the door so that Yukari could speak with Hitomi.  
  
"Hey," Hitomi answered gloomily.  
  
"Want to know something funny? I went to twenty different rooms trying to find you but then a kind doctor told me that you were here, so yeah."  
  
"You can always count on you to do things right," Hitomi said with a laugh.  
  
"Hey! I think I'm going to leave. I come here all this way to see how you were and you just throw insults at me. Well fine, I know when I'm not wanted," she said jokingly as she pretended to get her things.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"It's fine." There seemed to be an awkward silence between them. Hitomi guessed that when Yukari saw her pass out, she became fearful for her friend's life. The room was dead. It was void of life.  
  
"Thank you for the flowers," Hitomi finally said breaking the silence. Yukari looked at her with a confused look. Then she looked at the table next to Hitomi's bed and saw what Hitomi was thanking her for.  
  
"Oh. I didn't send those. Mine came on the first day you were in the hospital, but those died and you never got to see them because you were still unconscious." Now Hitomi was confused.  
  
"Then if you didn't send these, who did?"  
  
"Did you read the card?" Yukari said reaching for the card, "'Hope you feel better -Van.'" Hitomi looked at Yukari with a kind of surprised look. 'Why would Van send me flowers?' Hitomi thought, 'More importantly, how did he know what my favorite flowers were?' As if reading Hitomi's mind Yukari told Hitomi that he came to her a day after Hitomi was in the hospital asking what her favorite flowers were.  
  
"How sweet. At least you know he cares." Hitomi looked up at her half smiling friend. Things went to being silent yet again. Hitomi thought it strange for them to be so silent with one another. Yukari and Hitomi were the type of girls that would never stop talking. Yukari looked away from Hitomi slowly and Hitomi began to notice that something was wrong.  
  
"Yukari is something . . ."  
  
"Hitomi why are you . . ." They both said at the same time. Hitomi smiled at Yukari, while Yukari gave a nervous laugh. Then Hitomi signaled for Yukari to continue. Yukari took a deep breath and began to pace around the room. The worried look on her friend's face was beginning to worry her. Suddenly she turned to Hitomi with hurt eyes.  
  
"Hitomi why are you hurting yourself?" she said in a painful tone. Hitomi looked at Yukari with a look of confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Hitomi don't give me that crap!" Yukari turned towards the window to try and hide her face, but Hitomi could hear her sobs, "The doctor told us what you were doing to yourself. You're making yourself bleed by taking your nails and digging them into your skin."  
  
"Who did the doctor tell?" Hitomi said becoming very serious.  
  
"Your parents and me. But what does it matter Hitomi? You want to bleed to death?!"  
  
"No. It's the only way I can let my sorrows go away. Whenever I look at my wrist it's like a constant reminder of what happened the day before. If I happen to die, then let it be," Hitomi said solemnly, turning her face away from Yukari. Whipping around, Yukari looked at Hitomi with tears of sadness pouring down her cheeks.  
  
"You stupid! Don't you get it Hitomi? You don't have much time left! Why are you trying to end it sooner?" Yukari yelled while sobbing.  
  
"Yukari what are you talking about?" Hitomi questioned while trying to talk higher than Yukari's sobbing.  
  
"You're dying Hitomi. The doctor told us that you had leukemia. You only have six months to live," Yukari said looking away from Hitomi's shocked face.  
  
"That's what Celena tried to tell me," Hitomi said quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you had to know. I can't just go on pretending that you're always going to be here. I can't keep thinking that we're going to go to each other's weddings or that we're going to grow old together. If I didn't tell you that I knew, I don't think I can ever live with that guilt."  
  
"Thank you. If you never told me I would probably never know."  
  
"How can you take this so calmly? You're dying. You'll never get to do the things that you love ever again!" Deep inside Hitomi knew that Yukari was right. She would never get to have a husband or fall in love. She would never get to watch her friend get married or grow old with her. She would never get to do what she loves ever again in her life. She was afraid, but she had to stay strong. She didn't know why, but all she knew was that she couldn't be afraid. No matter how hard she tried to keep everything in, she couldn't and all she could do was cry silent tears.  
  
"I'm afraid Yukari. You're right. I don't want to die," she told her friend while crying.  
  
"Why did you keep everything inside you all this time? It's not like I would stop being your friend. Don't you trust me Hitomi? I tell you everything! It's not fair Hitomi. It's not fair what you're doing to me!" Hitomi watched her friend break down. Tears of fear and pain poured out from her eyes. She was right. It wasn't fair for her to keep everything from her while all the time she would inform her on everything. Hitomi felt so bad for what she did, but she reacted in the only way she could. She had to crawl back into her hole again and retreat from everything. She had to protect herself from feeling.  
  
"Yukari. I want to be alone," Hitomi said turning away.  
  
"You're doing it again. You're pushing me away," Yukari responded with hurt in her voice.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just that . . ." Hitomi began. She wanted so much to tell Yukari everything. She wanted to confide in her about her deepest and darkest secrets. She wanted to talk to her about her life and problems and ask for her advice like a normal friend. Yukari began walking out the door, but before she did she turned to look at Hitomi for her to finish.  
  
"I'm sorry," Hitomi said and with that Yukari had left. Hitomi's heart was torn in two pieces. One side was to tell all and confide in her friend and the other to keep everything inside and chase everyone away. She wanted to come out in the open, but it just wasn't meant to be.  
A/N: another chapter is done and finished . . . less work on my behalf haha . . . hope you enjoyed it . . . shocking isn't it . . . that hitomi is to die? So the story goes . . . I'm sorry for you people who want more of Van and Hitomi because Van wasn't mentioned once . . . no wait he never appeared in this chapter . . . so here is the good news Van is coming back in the next chapter!!!!!! Bad news . . . you're going to have to wait a bit for the chapter to come out hehehe . . . *grins evilly* . . . so until then laterz! 


	6. Under the Cherry Trees

"I'm so sorry that you had to hear about it from your friend," Celena said as she was putting new pillows onto Hitomi's bed. She had moved Hitomi to a wheelchair and put her next to the window so that she could look outside.  
  
"It's okay. It's hard enough for you because you're a nurse. You must have to tell people these things all the time," Hitomi responded. Celena looked at her with pitiful eyes. She realized that Hitomi was depressed and that she had no more spirit left inside her. She had an urge to try and change her mind about life. She wanted to make her realize that there was hope.  
  
"Why don't you go outside and enjoy the fresh air?"  
  
"Is that even possible?" Hitomi asked indicating that she was in a wheelchair and that she was wearing hospital clothes. Celena smiled nervously and nodded her head.  
  
"You're right. I guess I never should have asked you."  
  
"No. It was nice of you to ask me. If the offer still stands then yes I would like to go outside."  
  
"Really? Where? You name the place and I'll take you," Celena said breaking a smile.  
  
"See this park?" Hitomi said looking back outside as Celena moved to stand next to her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I want to go there. I want to sit underneath those cherry trees." Celena looked at her and frowned slightly.  
  
"I don't know if I can take you there. I mean it's behind the hospital and it's so far away. I don't think the doctors will let me."  
  
"I can take her," a voice said from behind them. Hitomi and Celena both turned to see whom the voice belonged to. Standing in the doorway was a boy with raven black hair with some of it getting into his face. He wore a loose red t-shirt and had on a pair of black jeans.  
  
"Who are you?" Celena asked.  
  
"Van," Hitomi said plainly.  
  
"Hey you remember my name," he said still smiling. Celena looked from Van to Hitomi then from Hitomi to Van. Celena began to walk to the doorway and while she walked she had on a big smile on her face.  
  
"Celena where are you going?" Hitomi asked.  
  
"I'm going to leave you two alone to talk," she responded with a giggle and with that she left.  
  
Van still stood in the doorway and looked at Hitomi in her hospital clothes. He could see that she was helpless and that she needed to depend on someone now. Secretly, a deep feeling inside him had hoped that she would depend on him and no one else. He saw how the sunlight shined on her face giving it an inhuman look. It seemed as if she were a goddess. Then she turned to look at him straight in the eyes. He saw that her eyes were an emerald green color. She looked beautiful and it didn't matter whether she was in her hospital clothes or not. 'It's weird. I've only just met Hitomi and yet it feels so right to like her. Something about her attracts me to her,' he thought, 'Whatever. I'm sure she doesn't feel the same way about me. Maybe sometime later in the future, we'll fall for one another. But that's in the future and who knows what could happen within that short amount of time.'  
  
'I'm falling for him! What the hell am I thinking!? I just met him and now I expect him to like me back. I just wanted to be his friend and yet a part of me wants for him to just hold me in his arms and keep me safe. That's all I ever wanted . . . for me to be protected by someone. My heart beats so fast when I'm around him. No. I'm not going to give myself up to that . . . inevitable feeling,' Hitomi thought.  
  
"So are we going to go to that park?" Van asked as he walked into the room and looked around.  
  
"I guess," Hitomi responded. Van walked towards the small stand next to Hitomi's bed and touched the black roses that he had gotten for her. Hitomi watched him gently cup one of the now dying roses into his hand. She watched his fingers trace the petals and then saw his face turn to her with a gleam in his eyes. Walking over to her, Van began to push the wheelchair towards the door.  
  
"What if I'm not supposed to go out?" Hitomi said worried.  
  
"I'll have you back before dark and besides you need to have a little fun once in a while," he responded coolly.  
  
The park was even more beautiful than she imagined. Young couples sat on the grass holding one another. Children played on the playgrounds, screaming and yelling while chasing after one another. There were some people that were quietly sitting on the benches, reading the book that was placed in their hands. Everyone looked so happy. Off to the side there were two cherry trees standing side by side. Hitomi thought that it was strange for there to be only two cherry trees, but it was still beautiful. Just to stand under the trees, or in her case sit in a wheelchair and look at the trees in awe, was amazing and she felt that there was some kind of magical aura emanating off of the trees. Hitomi was getting up from the chair when Van offered his hand for support. She stared at it for a while deciding on whether or not to take it. Cautiously and slowly, she slipped her hand into his and stood up. His hand was warm and soft to touch. A sense of electricity passed through the two people as they looked at one another's eyes. They were forming a powerful bond between themselves. Their bodies were almost joining with one another as they filled in the gap between them. Their faces barely inches apart. Both wanted to hold each other and chase away all of the other's fears, but at the same time they both wanted to pull away, afraid to get hurt. Their lips were getting closer and closer. Hitomi could feel Van breathe the very same air that she was breathing. Suddenly Hitomi turned her head quickly and looked at the two cherry trees.  
  
"I'm going to go sit under the trees now," Hitomi said letting go of Van's hand and walking towards the trees. Van sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. The bond that connected the two people was broken. Then he too walked over to the shade and sat down. He became calm and was slightly relieved that the bond had been broken. Hitomi on the other hand, was nervous. Her heart beat at one hundred beats per minute. She couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened there. She couldn't believe that fact that she was about to kiss him. This dark raven-haired boy had attained all of her passions for life, ambitions, but most of all love. He had begun to change her very soul. His very existence challenged everything that she believed in. She turned her head slowly and took a glance at him. He was looking at the children playing in the playground. A small smile spread across his heavenly face as he chuckled slightly.  
  
"What's so funny?" Hitomi asked turning to see what he was looking at. She saw a little girl playing in the mud with a little boy the exact same age.  
  
"What are the odds that those two will fall in love?" he asked Hitomi still smiling.  
  
"I don't know, but it rarely happens that way."  
  
"Maybe. When are you coming back?"  
  
"Back? Back where?"  
  
"To school."  
  
"Probably tomorrow. It depends the doctor said."  
  
"Oh." The sun was turning into a small red and orange glow. Hitomi knew that the sun was setting and that time was coming to an end. 'I don't know what to do. Should I tell him about my illness? No. I won't tell anyone except for the ones who already know. At least I can trust Yukari. Besides, what are the chances that I get better and that we'll fall in love and I'll end up telling him later?' Hitomi thought. Getting up she headed back to the wheelchair and sat down. Van followed after and took her back to the hospital. When they reached the room, Van folded and put the wheelchair away and watched Hitomi as she crawled into the bed with difficulty.  
  
"Here. Let me help. You're never going to get anywhere like that," he said as he tucked her into the bed and made everything comfortable for her. Hitomi was helping him help her and as she was tugging at the sheets of her bed, when Van's hand touched hers and that same electricity passed through them. Embarrassed Hitomi quickly retracted hers and looked in the opposite direction. Van slipped one of his hands into his pocket and had the other behind his neck.  
  
"So I'll see you at school tomorrow?" She looked at him with her solemn eyes and nodded slightly.  
  
"Yes. I'm sure that I'll be there."  
  
"Okay. Well just to let you know. Mr. Foreman is making us do a play in English class."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, Just giving you the heads up." Then he smiled at her one last time and walked toward the door. On his way out he shut the door and stood there for a while. Leaning against the door to the hospital, he sighed. 'I don't get it. The more time I spend with her the more I begin to feel for her. I want to do more for her. I want to give my whole heart to her,' Van thought then suddenly he smiled to himself, 'I'm falling in love . . . with her.'  
  
A/N: OMG!!! I finished this chapter! Sorry this took soooooo long, but it's time to cram for me because finals are here!!! This sucks anyways . . . hope you liked this chapter!! If any questions at all email me or if any suggestions email me too haha . . . I'm always open for those kinds of things . . . don't forget to review this story!!! It's kind of funny that love strikes in the weirdest places . . . and the whole play thing in the story?? It's not Romeo and Juliet because people use that play too much and I don't want to use it . . . I want to be original haha . . . *whispers* if you have a play that relates sort of to this story then email me . . . because I'm having the hardest time finding one :)! 


	7. Back to School Mistakes

Going back to school was tiring for Hitomi. Everywhere she went, people would stare and quickly turn their heads to whisper. This only caused Hitomi to walk faster to all her classes. Some people would stop and walk up to her asking her if she was feeling better.  
  
'How ironic,' she thought, 'I'm dying from leukemia, and these people are asking me if I feel better.' The bell rang and Hitomi headed to English. Sitting down in her seat, Hitomi looked toward the door and saw Van walking in. Hitomi had been trying to avoid him all day, even though it was impossible to because she had all his classes.  
  
"You came. Just as you said," Van said smiling while sitting down next to her.  
  
"Yeah. I can't miss any more of school," Hitomi responded blandly while looking straight into her desk. She was trying to look away from his eyes. The same eyes that trap her in one place and cause her to feel that funny feeling inside her. Van looked at her wondering why she was staring at her desk and was about to ask her something when Mr. Foreman began class.  
  
"As you all know we will be performing a play in this class. This class will be joined with the Drama class because of all your inexperience I figured that you might need the help. This play will count towards your grade so don't even think for one moment that this will be easy. You all are probably wondering what play we're doing so I finally came up with a decision. This play is an original that was written by a student in the drama class and yes it deals with romance," Mr. Foreman explained. All the guys groaned while the all the girls gave small giggles. Hitomi was shocked and disgusted. Van on the other hand seemed to think that a romantic play would be nice.  
  
"Interestingly enough for an original it reminds a lot of Romeo and Juliet. Although it also reminds me of Sleeping Beauty as well, but the Drama teacher found it suitable for us to do so we might as well do it. Oh and just remember that we will be performing this in front of your parents and anyone else who decides to come," Mr. Foreman finished. He looked up from the paper that he was reading from and saw that everyone was sleeping. He shook his head in disappointment and went to retrieve a bag. Slowly everyone began waking up again.  
  
"I wrote the names of the characters on pieces of paper and put them in this bag. Your job is to pull one out." Mr. Foreman wandered around the room and hands began to pull out names. Girls sighed sadly as they pulled out names that they didn't want and the guys just looked at the name once and crumpled the paper.  
  
"Miss Kanzaki, you're turn. Oh and welcome back," Mr. Foreman said.  
  
"Thank you," Hitomi said as she pulled out a name. Then Mr. Foreman moved to Van and Hitomi watched as he pulled out a name.  
  
"What are the odds that you get one of the main characters?" Van asked Hitomi as he looked at his piece of paper then to her.  
  
"One to about twenty," Hitomi stated.  
  
"I thought so. I play a character named Thomas."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"What about you? Who is your character?" Hitomi looked at the folded piece of paper in her hand and began repeating in her head over and over again how she wished it wasn't a character that had a romantic thing for the character that Van played.  
  
"I . . . I'm uhmm . . . not going to look at until I go home. I'll tell you tomorrow," she said as the bell rang. She quickly packed her stuff and practically ran out the room so that Van couldn't catch her. Van watched Hitomi run out the room and wondered what made her react like that.  
  
'One more period and then I'm out of school and away from Van,' Hitomi thought. She felt kind of bad for leaving Van so fast but right now she would give anything to get away from him. The way he made her feel was everything that she ever wanted but she couldn't fall in love anymore. Her sickness would just pull them apart and she would kill herself before ever separating herself from Van. She gave a big sigh as she stopped in the middle of the hallway to think for a moment.  
  
'I must be crazy. I'm having all these thoughts about him and me and thinking that there might be this chance for us to be together. What's wrong with me? I'm not even sure if he feels the same about me,' Hitomi thought. She began to walk again and made it to her dance class. This class was her favorite not because she enjoyed it but also because she didn't have Van to run away from. After dressing and going to the small gym that was specially made for the dance members, Hitomi saw all the other dancers stretching. As she walked by them they all stopped stretching and stared at her as she walked by. Hitomi felt uncomfortable with the way everyone was looking at her. Then she noticed Millerna walking towards her.  
  
"Hey! How have you been? We all missed you," she said smiling at Hitomi.  
  
"Millerna I've only been gone for a few days, but thanks and I'm fine," Hitomi said returning the smile. Millerna gave her a hug and then went to teach the new choreography to the class. Just as they were about to start, the door to the small gym opened and the entire Drama class came in.  
  
"What's going on?" Millerna asked out loud not to anyone in particular. Then a tall, handsome, and blonde guy walked towards Millerna.  
  
"Hey Mill," he said with his soft and tender voice. By the look on all the girl's faces, he must have been the most handsome guy in the entire school.  
  
"Allen what is this? You guys don't have the small gym today."  
  
"I know, but the stage was taken by the advanced drama and it's not like we can argue with the teacher."  
  
"Whatever. Yeah well you can't practice here. You can stay here but not practice. The girls are learning a new routine." Millerna walked to the center of the room again and turned the music on. The drama class kept coming in and the dancers had to move back to the far wall so that they could all fit. Millerna taught the first half of the dance and then turned off the music. Everyone got up and took their positions. As soon as the music started they began to duplicate the exact moves that Millerna taught them. The drama class began cheering as individual performances came up. All the dancers smiled as their turn came up. Hitomi's turn came up and the entire gym erupted into cheering. Hitomi had so much fun while dancing. Towards the end of the period everyone was laughing and talking with one another. Hitomi was talking to Millerna when someone walked towards them and introduced himself.  
  
"I knew that the famous Hitomi Kanzaki was a great dancer, but I didn't know she was this great," Allen said as he stood next to Hitomi.  
  
"Thanks. Dancing is what I love to do. I can't help it that I'm good," Hitomi said plainly. The more she looked at him the more she began to feel kind of giddy inside. She felt embarrassed and red.  
  
'What's wrong with me? First I act retarded in front of Van and now this? Besides I like Van not Allen . . . right?' Hitomi thought. The bell rang and school was out. Hitomi walked over to the locker room to change and get out of school really fast. Just as she was about to walk through the girl's locker room, someone grabbed her by the wrist. Hitomi turned to see whom it was and prayed that it wasn't Van.  
  
"Allen?" she said looking at him with a skeptical look.  
  
"Hey . . . again. I was just wondering if you want to hang out sometime. Just for fun at least so that we can get to know each other," he asked. Hitomi just looked at him with a wondering look. Then she realized what had just happened.  
  
'You know for the most popular guy in school it's kind of weird that he's asking me out. Or so I think he is. Well Hitomi you might as well answer the guy, after all you already know what the answer is,' Hitomi thought to herself.  
  
"Sure," Hitomi said. Then she thought for one second and she realized what she had just said.  
  
'O my god, what the hell did I just do!? I was supposed to say no. I was going to say no, maybe I can take back what I said very quickly. Yeah that's it, just tell him that you can't and you're busy,' she thought frantically.  
  
"How about this Friday? At 6:00?"  
  
"That's sounds nice."  
  
"Great. I'll come pick you up." Allen left her with a smile leaving Hitomi standing there with a zombie look on her face.  
  
'WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST DO!?!?!?!?' Hitomi screamed at herself in her head. She hit herself twice with the palm of her hand and then took a deep breath.  
  
'Now how am I going to fix this,' she thought with a worried look on her face.  
  
Going to sleep was the best thing for Hitomi to do when she got home. She threw backpack down onto the floor and threw herself lightly onto her bed. She stuffed her face into her pillow and then turned so that her face was on its side. She began reviewing what had happened at school and just realized that she still hadn't looked at her character for the play. With a sigh she got up from her bed, went to her backpack and got out a small piece of folded up piece of paper. Heading towards her bed, she leaned up on her headboard and slowly began to open up the piece of paper.  
  
"I'm . . ."  
  
A/N: sorry this took so long but I'm moving into my new home, finals, and report cards were stopping me from writing anymore . . . this chapter seemed kind of like a drag . . . I don't know why . . . it just does . . . well anyway I'm going to be gone for one more time because I'm moving into my house today and I won't have my computer plugged in until who knows when so I probably can't update for a really long time but hey patience is a virtue so yeah. What sucks about this too is that I left you with a cliffhanger and the whole play thing . . . yeah I couldn't find a play so I'm using a friend of mine's original play. Yeah she wrote a play . . . shows how bored we are . . . shows how bored I am . . . I need to go out sometime well anyway so sorry this took so long and remember to review!!! :) 


	8. Flourishing Love

"You're the what?" Yukari said the next day. The pair was sitting out on the school lawn eating their lunch as they chatted together about the upcoming play.  
  
"I'm the one that tells the actors what their line is if they forget it during the performance, but of course I'm backstage," Hitomi responded.  
  
"Oh. You should have told me that the first time around."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"It's okay. Anyway you and I should have been switched."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well I was in the drama room the other day and I sort of skimmed through the play. Turns out my character, Rosaline, falls for Thomas, who as you know, is played by Van."  
  
"So why should we have switched?" Hitomi asked with confusion. Yukari looked at her with a half annoyed face.  
  
"Don't play stupid with me Hitomi. This whole entire school knows that you two have feelings for each other."  
  
"What?" Hitomi said with a surprised expression. Then she blushed madly and lowered her face in embarrassment.  
  
"Don't tell me you didn't know that he likes you?"  
  
"Well . . .," Hitomi began, "It's not that I . . . I already have a boyfriend. So I can't like Van."  
  
"You what?" Yukari said with a look of utter disbelief, "Hitomi, don't tell me you did something really stupid."  
  
"All right then, I won't tell you," she said turning away from her friend.  
  
"Argh. Who is it? Who is the lucky guy?" Yukari asked with a slightly annoyed face.  
  
"Alan. Alan Schezar."  
  
"The senior? When did you two even meet? I could have sworn that he never met you."  
  
"It was during dance class. He saw me dancing and then the next thing I knew I was . . . going out with him." Yukari looked at Hitomi as she her cheeks slightly colored with the idea that the most popular and most handsome boy in school would ask her out on a date.  
  
"Yeah well, I wish you two the happiest relationship," Yukari said sarcastically taking a bite out of her sandwich, "Just be careful on your dates with him."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You know what I mean," Yukari said looking at her friend in confusion then realization, "Oh. Well, just . . . just go talk to his ex. After all she is your dance captain." Yukari got up from hearing the bell ring in the distance. She packed her stuff away and waved to Hitomi walking away before Hitomi even got up from the grass. Hitomi sat for a while not caring whether or not she was late to class. 'He likes me? No. Yukari must be joking. Yeah that's it, she was just kidding,' Hitomi said to herself. Getting up and packing her stuff, she suddenly stood up with a dawn of realization. 'The whole school knows?' Hitomi thought with a nervous look on her face. She snapped back into reality and headed for the auditorium.  
  
When she reached the auditorium, she couldn't hear any loud noises or people chattering loudly. Wondering why there was no noise, she opened the door quietly and stepped inside. She looked around the empty auditorium and noticed a certain boy with messy raven black hair moving and talking to himself on stage while staring down at a few papers in his hands. She leaned against the wall closest to the door, where he couldn't see her, and watched him avidly.  
  
"Rosaline. The oh so fair Rosaline. Will not thou accept the love I give unto thee?" Van said with feeling, "Would thou take my love even when another courts thee? Surely you must know that my heart, body, and soul will be laid upon your doorstep willingly if thou requests it." By the time he spoke that line, he looked up with a glimmer of hope in his dark penetrating eyes. Then he turned but then did a double-take and smiled a half-smile at Hitomi. Hitomi realizing that she had been caught began walking towards the stage towards Van.  
  
"Hey," Van said as he sat down at the very edge of the stage.  
  
"Hey yourself," Hitomi responded as she stood in front of where he sat.  
  
"I haven't seen you in a while. Where've you been?"  
  
"Oh, here and there."  
  
"You never told me what part you play."  
  
"I'm the one that tells people their lines if they forget it on stage."  
  
"Oh. Hey that's a very important part. Are you sure you can handle that? I mean I'm having trouble just memorizing my lines."  
  
"Haha. Very funny. You don't need to worry. You're a great actor."  
  
"Really? I thought so. I mean I thought that I could be up at the top like Brad Pitt or something," he said with a laugh. His laugh was so intoxicating to Hitomi. She wanted to hear him laugh some more and yet she feared that she would never tire from hearing it. She looked down in indignity. How could she stand here and think about Van when she was already with Allen? Maybe she could break it off with Allen and tell him that it just wouldn't have worked out anyway. Van's laughter died away and he looked at her with curiosity. He couldn't help but notice how quiet and beautiful she was. Even if it was just a crush, he felt as though she was the one. It was driving him crazy to watch her and resist the temptation of holding her in his arms and never letting go. Just as Hitomi was about to look up Van leaned a little closer to her, and their faces met. Their eyes were so focused on one another that nothing seemed to bother them. Hitomi tried to break the gaze, but she realized that is was harder than it seemed. For Van, it was as if time itself had stopped just for them to look deeply into the other's eyes. Hitomi, on the other hand, was beginning to feel faint and not because of her sickness, but she felt like she had a thousand butterflies flying around within her.  
  
"Hey Van? I want you to try this on for size," a girl said while coming out from backstage, looking from the garment she was holding to the pair staring at each other's eyes. She watched them for a moment and smiled a sly smile.  
  
"What? Am I not that important that you have to stare at your girlfriend's eyes a little bit longer?" she commented. Suddenly Van turned and looked at the girl with a surprise and Hitomi looked down as her cheeks flushed red.  
  
"What did you say?" Van asked still staring at her with disbelief.  
  
"Don't look at me like that. As if you didn't hear me," the girl said with an annoyed expression.  
  
"She's . . . not my girlfriend . . .," Van said with an awkward tone.  
  
"Huh? You're not . . .," she began as she saw both Van and Hitomi shake their heads side to side in a very quick manner, "Oh. Sorry. You two just looked so . . . never mind." And with that she let out a long sigh. For a few moments, not one of the three spoke because they were all thinking about what had just happened.  
  
"So . . you wanted me to try something on?" Van said breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere. The girl snapped back into reality, away from her thoughts, and nodded with a smile.  
  
"Yeah," she said turning back around, "Oh and Van? Can you please be the least bit courteous and use my name. It's Angie. A-N-G-I-E. Angie."  
  
"Okay Angie," he replied with a laugh, "Next time I'll try harder to use it." She disappeared backstage and once more, Van and Hitomi were left alone. After that little incident, Hitomi began to feel a little uncomfortable being alone with Van.  
  
"So . . . I'm going to go try on my costume," Van said trying to think of something else to say.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Hitomi replied not looking up once. Van got up from the edge of the stage and headed toward the back to try on his costume. Just as he was doing this, the doors to the theater opened and some familiar faces came in. Hitomi turned to put her stuff down when she noticed someone walking towards her.  
  
"Hey Hitomi," Allen said with a smile. He walked towards her and embraced her into his arms. Letting go of her, Hitomi gave him a smile.  
  
"Where were you?" she asked.  
  
"I was helping your English teacher get things going. Where were you?" Allen asked in return.  
  
"Here. Doing nothing."  
  
"I wish that we could spend more time together, but I just have so many things to do for school and such that I just can't seem to make room for you. I feel like such a jerk when I say things like these."  
  
"That's okay," Hitomi said with a smile. Hitomi looked back at the stage. For some odd reason her heart longed for that enchanted moment that she had spent staring into Van's eyes. She wanted him to hold her and kiss her and tell her that she was the only one in the world for him. She looked back at Allen, who was smiling down at her, and tried to picture him holding her and kissing her, but she could not. She could only think of Van. 'I'm mentally cheating on Allen. What a great person I am. But I just can't stop thinking about him. No Hitomi! You have to forget him. You only have six months to live anyway.'  
  
"Hitomi. Look at me," Van said with a smile while walking onto front stage. Hitomi turned to look and saw Van in puffy pants and a big white collar with a very tight shirt on. Hitomi tried to be modest but she couldn't help but to laugh. She had laughed for the first time in long while and the person who managed to make her laugh was none other than Van. Allen looked at her with a certain curiosity and Van was laughing on stage. Hitomi's laughter was broken when her cell phone rang. She went to the back of the auditorium to talk in private when for the first time Van noticed that Allen was in the auditorium as well. Van jumped down from the stage and walked towards the blonde haired boy.  
  
"You must be Van, right?" Allen asked.  
  
"Yeah. You're Allen right?" Van asked in return. Allen gave him a nod and the two shook hands. "So, you're the one that I have to fight in order to win over the girl I love."  
  
"What?" Allen asked with a sort of small shock. Then Allen realized that Van was talking about the play.  
  
"Oh, you were talking about the play. At first I thought you were talking about reality and if you were then it would have gotten to be a serious problem."  
  
"What do you mean serious problem? I highly doubt that you and I both have feelings for the same girl," Van said with a casual laugh.  
  
"You're right, we probably don't have feelings for the same girl. All I know is that I already fell in love with one and our relationship is just starting to begin."  
  
"Who's the girl?" Van asked as Hitomi walked towards them.  
  
"It's . . .," Allen began.  
  
A/N: omg . . . . I think that it's been like a thousand years since I updated on this story, but thank god that I finally stopped being a lazy ass and decided to get up and update the story. Yes I was procrastinating . . . no more excuses . . . I think I've already used so many of them up that I can't use anymore. Haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I kind of left it with a sort of cliffy. I'm so evil. ( don't you just want to know how Van will react when he finally finds out that hitomi is actually allen's gf?? Truthfully my heart is being wrenched into a thousand tiny pieces because I'm writing about how allen and hitomi are together for the moment . . . V/H forever for me . . . so until next time laterz!!! 


	9. Breaking Dark

Recap:  
  
"Oh, you were talking about the play. At first I thought you were talking about reality and if you were then it would have gotten to be a serious problem."  
  
"What do you mean serious problem? I highly doubt that you and I both have feelings for the same girl," Van said with a casual laugh.  
  
"You're right, we probably don't have feelings for the same girl. All I know is that I already fell in love with one and our relationship is just starting to begin."  
  
"Who's the girl?" Van asked as Hitomi walked towards them.  
  
"It's . . .," Allen began.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Disclaimer: wow I seriously haven't written one of these since like forever . . . that is the  
very first chapter I think . . . well I don't own Escaflowne .  
. . or beautiful  
Van . . . which sadly is quite depressing . . . (  
  
* * * * *  
  
Throughout the theater kids started to pile in, bustling about and preparing for rehearsal. Music and lights were tested as kids noisily talked throughout the auditorium.  
  
"It's . . .," Allen began.  
  
"Hitomi?" Van asked with a questioning look on his face. Allen looked at him with a funny look and then let out a small laugh.  
  
"How did you . . .?" Allen began again.  
  
"No. Hitomi?" Van said again and walked past Allen towards Hitomi. Allen turned and finally realized what he was talking about. Hitomi's face was covered in tears as she looked at them. Her breath became short and she started to gasp as if she couldn't breathe. Suddenly she fell on her knees and clutched her chest as she fell.  
  
"Hitomi!" Van cried and he quickly rushed to her side and put an arm around her, "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Hitomi. Tell us what's wrong," Allen asked rushing to her other side. Hitomi continued gasping and sobbing and soon her condition became worse. First one student noticed and then several others began to notice that Hitomi was not in a normal state.  
  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Hope she's okay."  
  
"Hope who's okay?" Yukari asked while walking to the center of the stage. The three girls stared at her for a second and then one of them pointed to the three kneeling in the aisles of the auditorium. Yukari turned her head cautiously, still a bit confused, and then gave a gasp as she realized who it was.  
  
"Hitomi. Your . . . illness . . .," she whispered softly to herself, "Hitomi!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
'Where am I? What is this place? What happened?'  
  
Hitomi awoke inside a white room with several windows to the right of where she lay. She moved her head around and saw that she was not wearing the same outfit she last remembered herself in and instead a light green bed sheet of a thing was covering her body. Her arms hurt as she realized that there tubes of different sorts attached to her body. She could hear the machines beeping, keeping a check on her heart rate and blood pressure. She turned again to her left and saw a single black rose in a vase on the stand next to her. Then she closed her eyes and thought about how she came to be back inside the horrible hospital she wished to forget.  
  
'I . . . I remember I received a call. Then I just . . . ended up here?' she thought to herself, 'Why can't I seem to remember anything?'  
  
She tried so hard for the next few hours to remember but nothing seemed to come to her. She slowly tried to sit up in her bed only to realize that if she moved the tubes from her arms pain would shoot through her causing her to grimace in pain. Finally giving up she turned her head to the side to look out the window.  
  
"Hitomi? How are you feeling?" Yukari said as she came through the door quietly.  
  
"Better," Hitomi responded without any particular feeling of reassurance.  
  
"That's good. You don't want to miss anymore of school. So you better get well fast. Okay?" Yukari said while pulling up a chair and sitting next to the silent Hitomi.  
  
"Yukari?" Hitomi asked in a voice that was barely audible to hear, "I tried." Yukari looked at Hitomi in sympathy then bowed her head in sadness.  
  
"I tried so hard to believe that I was going to be okay. I wanted to believe in that hope; I wanted to believe in life. But then . . . when I got that phone call . . . life itself went out of my reach. It left and it was as if it never looked back," Hitomi said with silent tears.  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
"I can't get the operation. There's no . . . there's no donor out there. Even my family, there's no one that matches. Then I thought about what you said. About that dream of watching each other get married and growing old and I asked the doctor if there was another way. And then he told me . . . that my parents . . . didn't want to try anything else. They didn't . . . want me to suffer anymore." Hitomi curled her hand into a fist and Yukari for the first time realized how much pain Hitomi was in.  
  
"Hitomi. Just wait a little longer. I'm sure that . . . "  
  
"Why? Yukari? Why did they stop trying?" Hitomi asked as more tears started to flow.  
  
"Hitomi please just calm down. We'll find another way. We always do," Yukari said to reassure her friend. She could tell that Hitomi was about to lose control.  
  
"Why! Why did they give up!" Hitomi began to twist herself out of the tubes and cables that were attached to her body. She tried to squirm her way out all the while screaming in pain. Yukari tried to hold her friend down to prevent her from getting hurt but it was no use. She just couldn't hold back all the pain that Hitomi was keeping deep inside her heart. Hitomi's heart rate soared and her blood pressure was climbing higher. Doctors and nurses quickly entered the room and pushed Yukari out. The nurses struggled to hold her down. The doctor prepared a drug to calm her down and amidst all the struggling he managed to inject the drug into her body. As soon as the drug entered her body, Hitomi stopped struggling and realized that her strength was being drained from her body.  
  
'Why?' Hitomi asked herself one last time as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep state of sleep.  
  
The doctor came out a while later and as soon as he came out Yukari got up from sitting and went to him.  
  
"Doctor? How is she?" Yukari asked with anticipation.  
  
"She'll be fine, but if she does that one more time there is no guarantee that she'll come out of it alive," the doctor replied letting out a small sigh as he did.  
  
"What did you do to her?"  
  
"We gave her a drug to calm her down. It should let her rest easy and in about three hours she should wake up. Don't worry she'll be fine. Now if you'll excuse me," the doctor turned and began speaking with a couple and their son. Yukari looked down at the ground. It was all she felt like she could do. She felt so helpless watching her friend go through so much pain.  
  
". . . wake in three hours, then you can go see her," the doctor finished speaking with the couple and then walked off. Yukari looked up to see the couple sit down with their son. Then she realized something important and how familiar the family looked to her. Walking over slowly, she tried to look at their faces when the woman suddenly looked up with the same expression Yukari was showing to her.  
  
"Mrs. Kanzaki?"  
  
"Yukari. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine. I thought I recognized you. Did you come for Hitomi?"  
  
"Yes. We heard she wasn't well, so we came here as fast as we could."  
  
* * * * *  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Why? Yukari? Why did they stop trying?"  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
* * * * *  
  
"It's true isn't it? What the doctor told Hitomi?" Yukari said backing away slowly, "you've given up on her haven't you?"  
  
"I don't . . ."  
  
"You've stopped trying. You've stopped trying to keep her alive!"  
  
"Yukari. That's not why. We haven't given up on her. We just don't want her to . . . suffer anymore." A moment of silence passed between the two.  
  
"You think she'll suffer less, knowing that her own parents won't find another way to help her? I'm sorry, but that's bull. Maybe you're just blind, but she suffers more knowing that you won't try to find another way to help than she actually does from her illness. If you love her at all . . . you'd . . .," Yukari shook her head and turned to go into the room, "If you ask me, I don't think you should even be here at all." With that remark she walked into the room and closed the door leaving a speechless Mrs. Kanzaki in the hall. Yukari looked at the resting Hitomi and pulled up a chair. Taking one of her hands, she waited until Hitomi would open her eyes.  
  
Yukari woke to a still sleeping Hitomi. She checked her watch and realized that it was nearly five hours since the drug and remembered that the doctor said it'd only take three hours and then Hitomi would wake up.  
  
"Hitomi? Hitomi wake up," Yukari became worried, "Please tell me you're just closing your eyes. Please tell me that you're just faking it. Hitomi? Hitomi . . ."  
  
Yukari became fearful for her friend. She knew that Hitomi would have woken up by now, with or without the drug.  
  
'What if you never wake up? I . . . I can't lose you now Hitomi. Please just open your eyes and tell me that everything will be all right . . .,' Yukari thought. Yukari slowly pulled out her cell phone, dialed a number, and with a shaky voice she spoke.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hitomi was floating in a state of darkness. She felt as if everything was lifted off of her shoulders. She closed her eyes and thought back on everything. She just wanted to disappear and never go back.  
  
'It's so dark. This emptiness. Why does it feel so empty? Maybe it's because there is no hope. There's nothing left for me to hold on to,' Hitomi thought, 'I feel so weak, so lost. Is this how it should be? Will I be alone? Alone . . . . .'  
  
* * * * *  
  
Entering the room, he took a long and solemn look at Yukari then turned his focus at Hitomi. He slowly walked over and sat down in the very same place Yukari was sitting minutes before. Taking her hand into his, he whispered soft words and stared longingly at her face. After a few minutes he squeezed her hand tightly and bowed his head in sadness. There was nothing he could do to make her wake up.  
  
"Please Hitomi . . . please come back to me," he whispered as he leaned in and rested his forehead upon hers.  
  
* * * * *  
  
'Hey,' a voice said.  
  
Hitomi looked up and stared at the face that was looking down at her. The two cherry trees swayed side to side from the wind. Flower petals danced around the two figures.  
  
'Why are you here all alone?'  
  
'I just wanted to be alone . . . to disappear . . .'  
  
The figure stared at her with a surprised face and then smiled. He walked towards her and sat down next to her, leaning casually against the cherry tree. Hitomi buried her face into her lap and stared on with an empty and solemn stare. Then she felt a warm presence upon her hand and looked. His hand was holding hers and she just stared.  
  
'You don't have to be alone,' he said. Hitomi looked at him and then met his eyes, 'Because I'll always be right here with you.'  
  
For the first time, Hitomi felt that she really wasn't alone. She felt as if this person could truly take away her pain and sadness. She leaned in closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Intertwining her fingers with his, she smiled.  
  
'Thank you. Thank you . . . Van,'  
  
* * * * *  
  
Van felt a reassuring squeeze from Hitomi's hand and he opened his eyes and slowly lifted his head. Hitomi's eyes were open and she was smiling at him with weary, but happy eyes. Van just stared back and the moment that the two shared together was quiet but neither person felt that there was a need for words to be shared. Smiling Van kissed Hitomi's forehead and then rested his on the very spot for which he laid his kiss.  
  
A/N: ahhhh . . . it feels so nice to write another chapter and then post it hehe. Long long time since i wrote this chapter and actually finished it. Oh well hope everyone enjoyed it and don't forget to review!! Damn these freakin non spaced spots . . . it's ruining the overall effect of my story . . . hope everyone can figure out the thoughts and stuff . . . damn . . . 


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